1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to improvements in sailcraft which are provided with retractable keels. More particularly, the invention relates to a sailboat keel hoist assembly which is constructed to be collaspable and permit rapid disassembly for convenient out of the way stowage on the sailboat.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
It is becoming increasingly popular to provide high performance sailboats with a retractable keel. Such retractable keel sailboats offer many advantages over conventional sailboats which have fixed keels. For example, a sailboat having a retractable keel is easier to position and mount on a boat trailer. Also, when the keel is moved to the raised or retracted position, the mounts on the boat trailer may be adjusted such that the sailboat sits at a lower height above the ground. This yields a desirable reduction in the frontal area of the sailboat/trailer combination which, in turn, contributes to improved handling and fuel economy of the towing vehicle.
In accordance with conventional retractable keel sailboat design, the keel is retracted by pulling the keel upwardly from the hull of the boat much like a conventional dagerboard is raised from a sailboard or windsurfer. However, unlike a sailboard dagerboard, a sailboat keel is very heavy and cannot be easily raised or lowered by a single person without the aid of some mechanical advantage. For instance, the keel weight for a typical twenty foot sailboat is on the order of 450 pounds or more.
In order to facilitate the keel retraction procedure, many sailors have fashioned their own hoist assemblies for raising and lowering the sailboat keel. Typically, these home made solutions comprise a one piece hoist structure which consists of a winch that is secured to one end of a long rigid pole. The other end of the pole is adapted to fit within a receiving socket which is secured to the bottom of the hull adjacent the keel. The receiving socket is typically reinforced by a liberal amount of fiberglass and polyester resin. The pole length is selected to provide a desired lift displacement.
These single piece hoist assemblies are typically very heavy and cumbersome to use and further take up a lot of space on the sailboat. As a consequence, they are usually left at the dock or car when sailing. A problem arises in shallow water sailing conditions when it is desirable or even necessary to be able to raise the keel in order to avoid running aground and possibly causing damage to the sailboat and/or keel.
Accordingly there is a definite need in the art for an improved sailboat keel hoist which is light weight and which is constructed to permit rapid and space saving disassembly for convenient out of the way stowage on the sailboat when sailing.